The Graduate School
Why Would a PhD Want to Teach at a Community College?
"Their mission of affordable access to quality education for all places them at the center of higher education." Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy, Executive Director, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Washington, D.C.
Too often, future college teachers, especially PhD candidates, fail to investigate teaching at the most influential type of higher education institution in America today: the community college. But, for future faculty who want to touch the majority of Texans attending college, make a major difference in the lives of their students, and work regularly with education technology, the community college is the ideal choice.
Did you know that . . . .
- Community colleges are the largest sector in higher education, enrolling 44 percent of the state's higher education students.
- The total enrollment for community colleges and technical colleges exceeds one million Texans per year.
- According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 59 percent of the projected growth in higher education will occur at community colleges.
- When community college students transfer to four-year schools, they do as well and usually better in their junior and senior years than students who are native to the transfer school.
Austin Community College (ACC) is one of the many community colleges actively seeking talented, energetic, enthusiastic faculty. We are looking more and more at those with PhDs.
The Austin Community College District is the eighth-largest single-college, multi-campus community college district in the nation, offering university transfer, workforce training, continuing education, and adult education programs. Teaching at ACC offers extra benefits that many institutions do not: ACC believes that our new and seasoned faculty deserve the best professional development support possible. Thus, we provide our faculty not only the latest technology training, but also development in important areas of teaching and learning such as Active Learning, Service Learning, Learning Communities, Multiple Intelligences, and Retention Strategies.
If teaching at the type of institution that is "at the center of higher education" appeals to you, you are encouraged to look into available internship possibilities at http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/pdce/pff/pff-form.html. And, if you would just like to talk about the possibilities and ask questions, please feel free to call Terry Stewart Mouchayleh, Director of Professional Development Programs and Evaluation Programs at 223-7748. Or, email tstewart@austincc.edu.
If you would like to learn more about teaching at Austin Community College, go to http://www.austincc.edu/hr/apply/.